Developing Your Plan

Remodeling a house -- or even just a room within a house -- disrupts daily home life and requires hard work and money. It's worthwhile to plan the project thoroughly before you begin. A good plan reveals problems before they happen and suggests solutions that might not have occurred to you otherwise.

The first part of developing a remodeling plan is to put together a program. A program is a list of the results you would like to accomplish by remodeling. Be as objective as you can when working on the program. If you start out listing "more closet space," you are likely to be locked into developing a plan for closets. If, however, you list "more storage space," you may discover a better, more workable solution than an additional closet provides.

Once you have your program, draw a floor plan of the existing space and make copies of it using tracing paper overlays. Sketch in ideas that accomplish the goals defined in your program. Draw each idea on a different copy of the floor plan to compare or combine them.

Almost every community has some kind of building code: a set of rules that spell out who can build what in a house and the standards a construction job must meet. Although the requirements can seem a nuisance, building codes are worthwhile -- they protect everyone from shoddy work and potentially dangerous construction practices.

Rules vary from community to community. In some areas, for example, anyone can do home remodeling, as long as the job is inspected. In other areas, inspections are required only for jobs costing more than a certain amount. Some areas require contractors to be licensed.

To stay on the right side of the law, the best thing to do is to call your local zoning or code enforcement office. Find out exactly what is allowed in your community and what you must do to comply. You may even want to set up an appointment to talk with a building inspector about your project.

If you do decide to meet with an inspector, jot down a list of questions to ask ahead of time. Although most inspectors are happy to point you in the right direction, they are busy and will appreciate it if you have thought out what you need to know before meeting. Key questions to ask include:

-- Do I need a permit to build the project I have in mind?
-- What information will I need to provide to apply for the permit?
-- If I need to supply drawings, do they need to be signed by an engineer or architect?
-- What inspections will I need?
-- How do I arrange for an inspection?
-- Is there anything I am forgetting to ask?

Step 1

Start by drawing a floor plan of the existing space on graph paper. A scale of 1/4 inch to 1 foot usually allows plenty of detail without being so big that you need a large piece of paper. Show all the walls, doorways, and windows.

Any time you build new walls, whether to divide an open basement into rooms or to rearrange other living spaces, you alter the dynamics within your home. Some changes are obvious: You now have an office instead of a desk tucked away in a corner. Others are subtler: The basement is now a lot darker because the only window is in the new office.

Subtle changes can be tough to predict and, therefore, hard to plan around. But there are two that you specifically need to consider: how your alterations will affect the light in the space, and how they will affect traffic flow.

As you plan, sit in the space at different times of the day and note how light enters the room. Perhaps your plan to divide a room allows plenty of windows in both new spaces, but are you blocking morning sun from the new breakfast nook? What can you do to keep the alteration from having a negative impact on the space? Can you add interior windows or a half-wall partition that lets the light continue to penetrate deeply into the space? Filling the top half of the wall with glass blocks is an effective way to create privacy without blocking light.

Traffic is the other issue that deserves serious consideration. Will your proposed change redirect traffic through your house? Will the kitchen suddenly become the preferred thoroughfare to the back door? It may be worth marking off the proposed spaces with tape or even cardboard to try out various arrangements before settling on the final plan.

Step 2

Once you have completed your floor plan, make tracing paper overlays to test out possible designs. Avoid erasing -- if you make a mistake or if you don't like the way something looks, just make another overlay.

Create an overlay for the elevation drawing. On it, show the framing that you will be doing and include the critical dimensions of the new design. If there are problems or special circumstances, note them in the margins.

Consult your framing diagram to make a materials list. Keep in mind the bottom plate of a wall runs the length of the wall -- even if you plan to include doors. You'll cut the part that runs across the doorway after the wall is in place.

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